If your idea of controversial literary couples are Romeo & Juliet or Bella & Edward, buckle your seatbelts! The following ten works of classic literature listed in this article from Flavorwire introduce couples who not only have to overcome family disapproval or species differences (vampire/human), but who deal with class tensions, extreme age difference, extramarital affairs, incest, homosexuality, S&M, and other controversial issues. And remember, each book you read & review in the library's online Summer Reading Club earns you a raffle entry for the prize of the week!

For those who enjoy their romance with a Western flavor, Kaki Warner has long been a sure bet. Now she's launching a new series set in 1870s Colorado with Heartbreak Creek, in which a mail-order bride and a rancher overcome numerous difficulties to find love. Romantic Times named this book a top pick for the month of July 2011; read it & see if you agree! (And don't forget to submit your review to the Summer Reading Club for a chance to win the raffle prize of the week!)

Have you read any of the past year's top ten biographies as named by Booklist? Are there other biographies you'd include in the top-ten list? Comments are welcome, and don't forget to submit reviews to the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Library's Summer Reading Club; each review for a book that you read during the summer gets you one entry in the raffle of the week.

Wondering what others are reading? Goodreads, a social networking site for booklovers, has pointed out three titles that are soaring in popularity among its users: Jamrach's Menagerie, Murder of the Century, and Joy for Beginners. Embark on a 19th century high seas adventure with loveable street urchin Jaffy, discover the true story of a 1897 New York City murder, or follow a Seattle cancer survivor's daring pact with her friends to do one thing that's always scared them. For additional popular titles, try the New York Times bestseller list; your Community Library always has multiples of these often-requested books.

If Dan Brown's Angels and Demons had a child with the blockbuster movie The Matrix, Alex Shakar's Luminarium might well be the result. Main character Fred Brounian has lost it all: his fiancee has left him, his software company has been swindled away from him, and his twin brother lies dying in a coma. With seemingly nothing left to lose, Fred signs up for an experimental neurological study, but before long, creepy occurrences (including emails supposedly sent from his comatose twin) make him realize that he might have gotten more than he bargained for. Readers, prepare for chills and thrills!

Here are five titles available at your Community Library from Kirkus's recently published a list of "Can't Miss Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2011." In Among Others, 15-year-old Morwenna finds escapes into scifi novels after the mysterious death of her twin. The Wise Man's Fear (a personal favorite of librarian Carolyn W.) is the sequel to Name of the Wind, and follows the adventures of Kvothe, a wise-cracking university student and jack-of-all-trades seeking answers about his parent's deaths. In Richard Matheson's Other Kingdoms, a soldier's retreat to a peaceful English village after World War I turns into something more sinister when he ignores local superstitions, while in The Quantum Thief, a criminal is broken out of a diabolical future prison in exchange for agreeing to steal a valuable artifact. Last but not least, China Mieville's literary Embassytown tells the story of how humans teach aliens how to lie, with disastrous results.

Escape to exotic places and times with these new historical fiction releases! Join An American Heiress as she schemes to marry a cash-strapped British aristocrat. In Dreams of Joy, sequel to the bestselling Shanghai Girls, journey with a Chinese-American girl to 1950s China in search of her real father. Get trapped in Nazi-occupied France in The Last Time I Saw Paris, or join the Yukon Gold rush in Moment in the Sun. Or go back in time all the way to 69 AD, where two ambitious wives are powerful Daughters of Rome. And remember, you can get a monthly annotated list of popular new historical fiction releases sent directly to your inbox with the library's NextReads newsletter!

Stella Hardesty and Chrissy Shaw, the vigilante duo from the 2010 book A Bad Day for Pretty, return in the new Western-flavored mystery A Bad Day for Scandal. The Kirkus review praises author Sophie Littlefield for balancing humor and seriousness: "Fans of quirky mysteries straddling the line between tough and funny need to grab a Littlefield pronto."

Take a break from trips to the movies this summer & make a little extra time for these ten highly-anticipated books, available at your Community Library. For details, click the book covers or take a look at this article from Bookpage. And don't forget to review each book you read in the library's Summer Reading Club for a chance to win great prizes. Happy reading!

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The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

"This book is steamy, suspenseful, and richly-detailed; it brings the historical era of 1920's London to life while keeping the reader guessing until the very last page." - Amanda

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The Wild Truth by Carine McCandles

Genre: Adult Non-FictionRating: 2 out of 5

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